Cisco terms to set up base

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

John Chambers (second from left) with CII president Ajay S. Shriram (third from left), CII director-general Chandrajit Banerjee (left) and Dinesh Malkani, president (sales) of Cisco India, in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)

However, it sought consistent tax policies and market access, which would boost growth of the manufacturing sector.

“We are very open. We discussed the possibilities of that (increasing its presence here). Electronic manufacturing is something we can take a hard look at. We led electronic manufacturing in China 15 years ago and actually brought the concept of electronic manufacturing,” John Chambers, CEO and chairman of Cisco Systems, said after meeting Amitabh Kant, secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion.

Cisco’s business in India has been slow — the company has not been able to reach the $1-billion target in services revenue it had set for 2011-14. However, it is upbeat on future prospects, with Chambers announcing earlier this year that he expected the company’s India business to account for 5 per cent of Cisco’s revenue, up from 2 per cent at present.

“We spent about $1 billion a year in equivalent foreign direct investment in India. We put $40 million in new start-ups and new ideas. We lead in corporate social responsibility in many areas. India is our second world headquarters,” Chambers said.

During the meeting, Cisco said it was very bullish about India’s growth and was willing to redouble efforts to increase its presence in the country, officials said.

Chambers is believed to have told Kant that “market access and a consistent tax policy” are required to set up a manufacturing base. “The company also wants to partner India in the setting up of smart cities. According to them, the company is involved in smart cities that are successful in the world,” they said.

In its election manifesto, the BJP had mentioned developing 100 smart cities.

The company is already engaged in ICT (information and communications technology) related matters for smart cities proposed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project.